Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and data structure of content file

摘要

Information is configured in a tree structure comprising a root node, internal nodes, and leaf nodes, and an image is prepared for each node. Links to images of internal nodes are set in a root node image. When a display area satisfies a predetermined link condition the display target is switched from the root node image to an image of an internal node. A link to a leaf node image is set in each of the internal node images. Further, an order is defined for the leaf node images so that the images can be successively accessed. When the display is switched from a link area of an internal node image to a leaf node image and the display is to return to the internal node after images of leaf nodes are accessed, the image area of the internal node is displayed according to the number of images traversed.

主权项

1. An information processing apparatus for changing a display area in response to a viewpoint moving operation of a user to display an image, comprising:
a content storage unit in which data of a plurality of images of a display target and link setting files are stored in a mapped relationship to each other, a link setting file being set for each image in order to implement a link function for switching a display from an image being displayed to a different image when, during display of one image, an inclusion relationship between a display area and a particular link area satisfies a predetermined link condition, the link setting file describing information of the link area and identification information of an image of a link destination, wherein the link relationship between images is defined by a tree structure comprising node levels, the highest level being a root node, the intermediate levels being one or more internal nodes, and the lowest level being one or more leaf nodes, wherein an image of said root node and an image of an internal node comprise link areas, whereupon when a user moves the display area so that the viewpoint enters one of said link areas, the display target image switches to a different image in accordance with a link in said link area; an image switching controlling section configured to refer to the link setting files to determine whether or not, in response to the viewpoint moving operation for the image being displayed, the inclusion relationship between the link area set for the image and the display area satisfies the link condition and specify, when the link condition is satisfied, the identification information of the image of the link destination; and a display image processing section configured to carry out, based on the identification information received from the image switching controlling section, a rendering process for the image data to switch the display image, wherein: the plural images whose data are stored in the content storage unit include a plurality of images which constitute an image sequence having an order defined in advance, and the image switching controlling section specifies, when the image being displayed is an image in the image sequence, and in response to a successive feeding operation of the display image carried out by the user, identification information of an image as a switching destination, which is defined as a next image to the image being displayed in the ordered sequence, wherein switching between images of different node levels occurs when a user moves a display area into the link area of an image, wherein a user switches between leaf node images by way of said successive feeding operation which allows a user to traverse (successively access) images in said leaf nodes in sequential order, wherein a user can return (switch back) from a destination leaf node image to the preceding internal node image by operating an inputting means of an inputting apparatus, wherein the particular image of said preceding internal node returned to (i.e. return destination) is determined from stored information identifying the image and the specific link area from which the last switch occurred, and said stored information is updated to a different link area of the preceding internal node image (i.e. different return destination) when a predetermined number of leaf nodes is traversed by the successive feeding operation.